Top News salaries soar unhacked

James Murdoch
’s decision last month to relinquish a $US6 million bonus might have chopped his 2010-11 remuneration by about a third, but he is still one of the media industry’s highest-paid executives.

Ignoring the bonus, which Mr Murdoch did not take because “it was the right thing to do" in the wake of the phone hacking scandal that hit News Corp’s British newspapers division this year, his remuneration rose from $US10.3 million to $US11.9 million.

As chairman of
News Corp
’s British newspaper division and the company’s deputy chief operating officer, Mr Murdoch received a base salary of $US3 million and stock-based compensation of $US8.32 million.

The remuneration of his father, News Corp chairman and chief executive
Rupert Murdoch
, shot up 46.5 per cent in 2010-11 to $US33.3 million. That includes a jump in his bonus from $US4.1 million to $US8.5 million.

News Corp deputy chairman and chief operating officer Chase Carey’s remuneration increased a more modest 15.8 per cent, to $US30.2 million, including a $US15.2 million bonus.

A $US9.5 million bonus boosted chief financial officer David DeVoe’s remuneration from $US7.1 million to $US18.2 million.

Roger Ailes, the head of News Corp’s United States television division, took home $US15.6 million, up from just under $US14 million in 2009-10.

Joel Klein was News Corp’s highest paid non-executive director in 2010-11, thanks to a pro-rated salary of $US1 million and a $US1 million bonus related to his previous job as head of the company’s education division, plus a $US1 million signing bonus.

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Lachlan Murdoch received $US504,000 for his non-executive role on the News Corp board.

The media group’s two Australian directors, Ken Cowley and Rod Eddington, were paid $US241,000 and $US284,000 respectively. Mr Cowley will retire from the board at News Corp’s annual meeting on October 21.